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Cafe Car tables are too wide/seating is a tight squeeze for my plus size body so do I have a ADA Complaint here?

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, February 14, 2020 10:36 AM

It's a noteworthy accomplishment.  Keep it going!!

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Posted by NKP guy on Friday, February 14, 2020 8:51 AM

Yes   You go, 'liner!

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Thursday, February 13, 2020 5:47 PM

daveklepper

This Dave and the poster apparently share more than recognition that there is a spiritual world in common, specifically worries about overweight.  My own solution at age 88 and reduced activity is to eat only two meals a day.  On occasion this is supplimented by a  small amount of snack food, no sugar or salt, just small pretzels or pretzel-sticks with some cinamon tea, during a class where snacks go with the lesson.  My goal is to again be able to fit into the pants of my age 17 - 24 dress army uniform, and I am getting there slowly.  I'm glad I kept it and had it repaired.

Dave K, At one time, I had to use an extender belt on an airplane. I was up to a 56" waist and 300 lb. Went back to Weight Watchers and currently am into 44" pants and under 200 lb. Eating good and exercising helping. Got off a nmber of Meds. Decided I wanted to stay longer on this world. 

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Posted by 54light15 on Thursday, February 13, 2020 2:41 PM

I have ridden on a 1920s vintage Southern Railway observation car that was used on the Devon Belle, on one of the heritage railways in the U.K. The information sheet aboard the car says that it indeed is made to be uncomfortable to allow a turnover in the seats. There was a bar counter at the forward end that had real ale on handpump so I guess the idea was to sit for a little while while the barman poured your pint and you took it back to your compartment. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, February 13, 2020 12:09 PM

You're a better man than I am David, there's NO WAY I could ever get into my Marine Dress Blues again.  At the time I got them I was 22 years old and weighed 165 pounds.  I'm 66 now and 195, and everything's spread quite a bit in the past 45 years!  Oh well.

As far as those dining car accomodations are concerned, the thought hit me.  Ever been in a fast-food place, any of them, and noticed the seats are just a bit uncomfortable and the tables just a little "off," for lack of a better term?

All done on purpose, the idea being to keep you from hanging around for too long after you've finished your meal.  I wonder if Amtrak's doing the same thing with the dining cars? 

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, February 13, 2020 6:10 AM

This Dave and the poster apparently share more than recognition that there is a spiritual world in common, specifically worries about overweight.  My own solution at age 88 and reduced activity is to eat only two meals a day.  On occasion this is supplimented by a  small amount of snack food, no sugar or salt, just small pretzels or pretzel-sticks with some cinamon tea, during a class where snacks go with the lesson.  My goal is to again be able to fit into the pants of my age 17 - 24 dress army uniform, and I am getting there slowly.  I'm glad I kept it and had it repaired.

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 5:01 PM

divebardave

Either that and I am getting older and wider...I did not notice a handicapped space in the Cafe/Club Car/Buisness class either. You would think that middle aged pouched railfans is a huge chunk of Amtraks buiness. No room for beer bellys on Amtrak. This seems to be a recent problem on newer cafe cars.

How do you manage in an airplane, Dave?

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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 8:40 AM

Cafe tables are fine for me and don't forget they are designed for the average rail passenger.    If they allowed too much room kids would be dropping food on the seats and floor.    As for being overwieght, there are plenty of folks that fit in the tables that are overwieght so it is not the fact that your overweight it is where you are carrying your weight.    Easy to get rid of excess weight.    Most important thing about dieting is to not deprive yourself of the foods you like or else you will end up binging and putting on more weight.   

Portion control, matching activity with food intake are the two keys here.   Master those two items and you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight.

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Posted by Backshop on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 8:54 PM

Maybe somebody needs to stay out of dive bars...

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 7:04 PM

Are you claiming coverage? 

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Posted by divebardave on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 2:21 PM

regulatons as of 2016-

This is in reference to your complaint concerning the level boarding platform planned for Roanoke, Virginia. Complainant’s Allegations You allege that the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning high-level platforms at the proposed station at Roanoke is causing delays of up to 5 years with the station. You allege that this causes undue hardship to people with disabilities because there is no other practical way for individuals with a disability to travel via common carrier. Law, Regulation and Policy Title II of the ADA prohibits public entities, including Amtrak, from discriminating against disabled individuals. 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131, 12132. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits exclusion of a disabled individual, solely because of his disability, from any program or activity receiving federal funds. 29 U.S.C. § 794. The DOT enforces Title II of the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other civil rights statutes as they pertain to transportation, and DOT investigates complaints against recipients of DOT financial assistance. The Department’s recipients include Amtrak. The regulation at 49 C.F.R. §37.42 provides a performance standard for service at platforms constructed or altered after February 1, 2012. The regulation states in relevant part: (a) In addition to meeting the requirements of sections 37.9 and 37.41, an operator of a commuter, intercity, or high-speed rail system must ensure, at stations that are approved for entry into final design or that begin construction or alteration of platforms on or after February 1, 2012, that the following performance standard is met: individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, must have access to all accessible 2 cars available to passengers without disabilities in each train using the station. (b) For new or altered stations serving commuter, intercity, or high-speed rail lines or systems, in which no track passing through the station and adjacent to platforms is shared with existing freight rail operations, the performance standard of paragraph (a) of this section must be met by providing level-entry boarding to all accessible cars in each train that serves the station. . . . Decision For purposes of this decision, the FRA accepts that you are a person with a disability. The proposed platform for Roanoke entered final design after the February 1, 2012, effective date of 49 C.F.R. § 37.42. Because the platform is adjacent to a new track the Department’s regulation requires level boarding. Thank you for sharing your concerns about this matter. Notice You should also be aware that no one may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or engage in other discriminatory conduct against anyone because he or she has either taken action or participated in an action to secure rights protected under the ADA or Rehabilitation Act. Any individual alleging such harassment or intimidation related to intercity rail transportation may file a complaint with the DOT, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Any complaint to the FRA must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. You should also note that nothing in this administrative action precludes you from filing this complaint in an appropriate court should you choose to do so. If you any questions regarding this letter, please contact me at either (202) 493-6010 or toll-free at (877) 536-8368, extension 36010. Sincerely, Calvin Gibson Director, Office of Civil Rights

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Posted by Backshop on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1:20 PM

To those who say that they're overweight because restaurant food portions are too large, here are three answers--1. Dont' eat out. 2. Lead a more active lifestyle.  3. Don't eat everything.  Nobody is holding a gun to your head.  Get a doggybag and take some home for lunch tomorrow.  People just want to blame others.  I'm 60, 5'7" and 160lbs and going out for a 2 mile neighborhood walk (3.5mph pace) just because I want to.  I was doing bicycle century rides at a good pace (16+mph) into my early 40's.

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Posted by divebardave on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1:12 PM
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Posted by divebardave on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1:06 PM

I always assumed that Marilyn Monroe was plus sized--http://themarilynmonroecollection.com/marilyn-monroe-true-size/

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Posted by 54light15 on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 9:20 AM

Or, look at photos that have been posted in the Steam and Preservation thread of Grand Central Terminal in the 1940s. 

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Posted by NKP guy on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 9:32 PM

 

 

divebardave
what we had on the Pennsy in the 1940s-1950s and those cars were BUILT for HUSKEY Women and BURLEY WW2 Soilders...

 

Um, no.

Take a look at your father's Army or Navy uniform. 

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Posted by NKP guy on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 9:31 PM

deleted

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Posted by Convicted One on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 7:10 PM

divebardave
you would think that middle aged pouched railfans is a huge chunk of Amtraks buiness.

 

So, perhaps this explains the new "Superliner" cars with the Schnabel undercarriage?

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Posted by divebardave on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 6:24 PM

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Posted by divebardave on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 6:21 PM

My original post was that it seems that the cafe tables are even too small for your average American and whoever engineer drew up the plans sits in a AC office somewhere in California goes to Planet Fitness every morning and drives to work. Where these cafes car are built in Hornell NY and Elmira NY have not had a Amtrak Train since the 1970s....compare these sparten Amtrak cafe cars with what we had on the Pennsy in the 1940s-1950s and those cars were BUILT for HUSKEY Women and BURLEY WW2 Soilders...

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 5:47 PM

As a Weight Watcher that has lost 100 lbs, I know what over weight prople go through. A catagory of people that still get discriminated and have bad jokes made about them. I am not asking for sympathy, just that too many foods are fattening today. And resturants portion sizes are excessive. That said, Some memories that I can never forget:

Back in the late fifties, while riding a Cincinnati trolley bus, I was the only passenger on the four passenger bench seat over the front door side wheel. A lady got on the bus and she was so overweight that she had to turn sideways to pass through the door. She sat down next to me and occupied the three seats next to me plus. And while she sat as close to the door as she could, I was still squeezed and needed to move. 

Also remember the Classic NEW YORKER cartoon depicting an Atlantic City boardwalk GUESS YOUR WEIGHT attraction with a scale tripod chair and two men looking down at a big hole in the boardwalk, the chair seat shredded, and the caption "FATEST WOMAN I EVER SAW" Which was what I thought about the lady on the bus. 

I think that employers might want to offer weight loss programs for employees similar to smoking cessation programs. A case might be made that safe operation of a vehicle or train might require an operator to be healthy and simce overweight people are (in my opinion) more prone to strokes and/or heart attacks and that could be a rational for a job weight limit.

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Posted by divebardave on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 3:37 PM

Overmod

I think you might be able to get there from the City of New Orleans, and for some reason I think Megabus has a road stop near there on the road to Chicago from Memphis. 

You could probably hitchhike safely if you had a sign that referenced going there to EAT.  Someone in a big enough car will stop to help you...

Sorghum! Sorghum on your rolls!

(As bad as "Punch, brothers, punch with care; punch in the presence of the pass-en-jare"...)

 

I belive Cairo IL is the closest Amtrak/Freight Yrd to Sikeston which is 28 miles to/from there. I also see on Google Maps that Cape Girardeau Missouri birthplace of Rush Limbaugh is nearby as well and is a scenic town in its own right.

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Posted by 54light15 on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 1:49 PM

It's not difficult. Exercise more, eat less. Don't use salt. 

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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 5:41 AM

Just lose the weight before Amtrak recruits you as a LD train Conductor, it's really not that hard to lose weight.

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, January 13, 2020 8:06 PM

I think you might be able to get there from the City of New Orleans, and for some reason I think Megabus has a road stop near there on the road to Chicago from Memphis. 

You could probably hitchhike safely if you had a sign that referenced going there to EAT.  Someone in a big enough car will stop to help you...

Sorghum! Sorghum on your rolls!

(As bad as "Punch, brothers, punch with care; punch in the presence of the pass-en-jare"...)

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Posted by divebardave on Monday, January 13, 2020 7:58 PM

Lamerts Cafe in Sikeston MO is now on my bucket list (need transit/train info) -

 https://www.americansorghum.com/7-benefits-of-eating-sorghum/

 

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, January 13, 2020 7:42 PM

NKP guy
 We are a large nation, in several respects.

You cannot really appreciate this until you have been to Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston (the home of sorghum on your throwed rolls).  That was the first place I saw actual spherical people, something I thought only existed in L. Frank Baum.

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Posted by NKP guy on Monday, January 13, 2020 7:35 PM

   Someone else can verify this anecdote from recent history, but I've read that after Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 was placed in service, about a year or so later a large number of the chairs on board had to be replaced because the many American plus-sized passengers had broken them.

   We are a large nation, in several respects.

   

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, January 13, 2020 5:30 PM

GERALD L MCFARLANE JR
The simple answer is: NO, you do not have a valid issue for an ADA complaint, and if the aisle is wide enough for a wheel chair to pass through then it meets the criteria as you can always eat at your seat.

If one is wider than a wheel chair - it is likely that the wheel chair won't support you.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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